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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday #5

I'm still so shocked that we're at the end of 2012 already, and it's only one week til Christmas. I hope everyone's finished their Christmas shopping so they don't have to brave the malls this week.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. This week's topic is the Top Ten favorite reads of 2012.

Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2012

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I'm so in love with this book. It is by far the best read of the entire year. Beautiful, touching, and real, TFiOS is both a book that makes you cry and a book that makes you think. And Augustus & Hazel are one of the best literary couples ever.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - I really loved this trilogy. Gritty and edge-of-your-seat exciting, plus some romance, this was a great read. I can't wait to read it again, but the story can be so real and so heartbreaking. I'll definitely need tissues at the ready.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - So lighthearted and fun, AAOK was such a breath of fresh air after reading all these intense dystopian novels. I love the main character, Colin, but it was really his best friend who stole the book. Hassan is the most awesome comedic relief/sidekick.

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien - So incredibly amazing. The plot, the characters, and the settings all worked together to make this book so incredible. After The Hunger Games, this is by far my favorite YA dystopian novel. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Matched by Ally Condie - I discovered this year that I'm a sucker for dystopian romances, especially if it's a love triangle. Lucky for me, the majority of what I read this year fits that exact description. In this book, while I felt like the secondary characters and setting descriptions didn't get a lot of attention or development, I really liked the plot concept and the relationship between Cassia & Ky.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I thought this was an awesome retelling of Cinderella, mixing just the right amount of the original concept with steampunk, dystopia, and science fiction. I originally wasn't quite sure how I felt about the lunar people part, but it works really well with the story.

The Selection by Kiera Cass - Besides having a great concept (Dystopian future meets beauty pageant), this book had one of my favorite heroines of the year. America is smart, funny, and outspoken, not afraid to say what she thinks, even to royalty. Cass also did a great job making the tension between the "contestants" so tangible, you can feel it.

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer - A great ending to one of my favorite series. I was a little worried about how Colfer was going to wrap up Artemis Fowl's adventures. But there was no need. It was just the right amount of fantasy, science, and adventure. And the ending was unexpected but satisfying.

Soul Music by Terry Pratchett - I blame my brother for getting me hooked on Pratchett a few years ago, and now I try to read at least one Pratchett book a year. I especially love the character Death, so any novels that have more of a focus on him are my favorites. This book was fun not only because of its Death storyline, but also because it's an incredibly funny satire on the rise of rock-n-roll music.

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier - This is my first Marillier novel, and I'm so glad I picked it up. I couldn't put this book down once I started it. Fantasy is my favorite genre, so the book already had that in its favor. But I really loved this book for its characters. Neryn, Flint, and the fairy folk are all amazing, mostly due to Marillier's great character development throughout the novel. Now I'm so excited to catch up on other series and novels by Marillier.